ARKADELPHIA, Ark. –  Alex Brown scored a team-high 22 points, while Ramses Sandifer poured in 18 points, going a perfect 4-for-4 from behind the 3-point line, but the Arkansas Tech Wonder Boys basketball team (4-12, 2-8 Great American Conference) dropped a close 84-80 contest to Henderson State (12-5, 7-4 GAC) on Saturday afternoon at the Duke Wells Center.
 
NEXT UP

• The Wonder Boys will return to the court on Jan. 24 as Tech travels to Weatherford, Okla. To face off against Southwestern Oklahoma at the Pioneer Cellular Event Center. A 7:30 p.m. tipoff is scheduled.

 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Tech jumped out to an early 8-4 lead, behind five points from Ramses Sandifer.
• Both team struggled to score in the opening six minutes as they went a combined 5-for-19 from the field.
• Back-to-back Tech baskets from Alex Brown and Mason Cline helped the Wonder Boys take a six point advantage (13-7).
• HSU used a 7-0 run to take their first lead of the game 14-13 with 11:29 left to play in the first half.
• The Reddies held Tech scoreless for 2:35, allowing HSU to build a 19-13 lead at the 10:33 minute mark.
• The Wonder Boys outscored HSU 8-0 over the next 2:30 to take a four-point (12-8) lead with 14:57 remaining in the half.
• Sandifer scored six straight points for Tech, kick-starting an 8-0 run to give the Wonder Boys a 21-19 lead.
• HSU used an 8-1 run, six points coming off of two Rel Johnson 3-pointers, to regain the lead (27-22).
• Tech retook the lead at 29-27 after a Sandifer dunk, but saw HSU storm back to take a 36-33 lead with 2:39 remaining in the first half.
• The Wonder Boys closed out the first half on a 7-3 run, highlighted by a Cline 3-pointer to take a 40-39 lead into the locker room.
• Henderson opened the second half shooting 4-for-5 from the field, going on a 9-2 run to take a 48-42 lead.
• Sandifer scored five straight points, his fourth 3-pointer of the game cut the HSU lead to 50-47 at the 16:57 minute mark.
• After HSU stretched its lead to seven points (54-47), Alex Brown scored 11 straight points to help Tech regain the lead (60-56).
• The Reddies used the next 1:13 to go on a 6-0 run, giving HSU a 62-60 advantage at the under-12 media timeout.
• R.J. Glasper scored back-to-back baskets out of the timeout, giving Tech a 64-62 lead with 10:12 to play.
• After HSU converted a 3-point play to take a 65-64 lead, 3-pointers from Adler and Cline helped Tech take a three point advantage (70-67) with 8:10 remaining in regulation
• HSU knotted the game at 73-73 with 6:18 to play.
• Glasper scored his ninth point of the ballgame on a 3-pointer that gave Tech a 76-73 lead with 5:55 to play.
• Henderson State scored seven unanswered points to take an 80-76 lead into the under four-minute media timeout.
• Out of the timeout, Mike Fofana hit two free throws to push the HSU lead to four (72-78) with 2:33 left in the game.
• Glasper hit two free throws on the following possession to narrow the deficit to two (82-82) with 2:05 remaining.
• Tech had three attempts to tie the game with under a minute to play, but missed all three shots and were forced to foul, where HSU went 2-for-2 from the line to take an 84-80 lead with 7.7 seconds left in in the game. The Reddies held on to defeat Tech 84-80.

 
NOTABLES

• HSU outshot Tech 43.8 to 40.0 percent for the contest, shooting at a 51.4 percent clip in the second half.
• Henderson State held a 45-31 advantage on the rebounding glass and a 44-24 advantage in points in the paint.
• HSU also held a 19-4 advantage in second-chance points and a 26-15 advantage in fast break points.
• Glasper and Adler both scored in double figures as Glasper scored 11 points and Adler added ten points. Adler also tied for the team-high with six rebounds.